


Vaguely

by elysium (lawlietslullaby)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Gen, Memory Alteration, Sad Ending, druids show up and it's bad news, zarkon is dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 14:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8059678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawlietslullaby/pseuds/elysium
Summary: the paladins are cornered by thousands of galra soldiers and keith makes a deal“Guys,” she says. “I have this weird feeling. Like I’m forgetting something really important.” The others exchange looks.





	

In front of the same druid who attacked him back on the Galra warship, Keith kneels.

It is unlike anything they have ever previously encountered.

Pidge can’t fend them off much longer. They’re vastly outnumbered. There are thousands of Galra soldiers, but only six of them. The emergency distress beacon that went off when Zarkon died signaled for all Galra in every corner of space to arrive at his main warship. They had traveled so fast, defying the laws of physics. It seemed impossible, unrealistic, how quickly they arrived. But they were there, and there was no denying it. They had changed, as though the news of Zarkon’s death had genetically modified them. Their yellow eyes were glowing, fangs bared, larger than before. The image of anger, of unbridled rage. Briefly, Pidge wondered whether or not their existence was somehow intrinsically tied to Zarkon. If, tragically, they could only function so long as he survived. It would make sense. Zarkon had lived far beyond the average life expectancy of a Galra, using unnatural means such as magic and feasting on the quintessence of other planets. It could very well be that the current Galra, painfully average, were only living to serve in Zarkon’s army, to further his agenda, that they did not know life without Zarkon at the helm and never could, that they were never destined to do anything more, and the news of his death had shaken them to the core. Pidge was sure that they would die shortly, the stress of the loss being too much for them, their life’s purpose complete. But she wasn’t sure they could hold them off that long.

The other paladins weren’t faring well either, and Pidge could see from where she was, for the millisecond she was able to look away from the Galra attacking her, that Allura’s eyes were wide with fear, and that was when she knew they were in serious trouble.

“Guys,” she said. “I hate to say it, but this really doesn’t look good.” They were practically back to back with each other, standing in a circle that was reminiscent of their first time on the training deck, the image of Shiro, Lance, and Keith standing in the center. It pained her, and where was Keith? She didn’t want to even consider that he might’ve died.

“Pidge, don’t talk like that,” Shiro said, but his eyes had lost some of their fire, too. Lance laughed nervously, weakly.

“I’m gonna have to agree with Pidge on that one, but whatever happens, guys…I love you. You were my family up here. I’m so glad I met all of you.”

“Don’t use past tense,” Hunk said. “Just don’t do it.”

“Hunk-”

“I know. Just don’t.”

“Paladins, I am so thankful for the work you did for our universe. I can never repay you.”

“Anytime, Allura. If I could do it all over again, I would still be a paladin.”

“There’s more. They just keep coming. This is useless.”

“Fuck!” Shiro said, startling all of them. “I never wanted to die like this. I never wanted to give them the satisfaction.”

“Shiro, we’re so sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault.”

“Guys, _where the hell is Keith_?” No one knew the answer.

“So that’s the deal right? You free all of them, you call off the soldiers. They walk out of here, they don’t even know what happened. They’re safe, right? You let them go?”

The druid does not open its mouth, for it does not speak to him using words. There is a nearly imperceptible shake of the head, and though no words come out, Keith hears what it says in response.

_They will forget about you. You will cease to hold a place in their memories, and you will be our prisoner forever. And forever on Earth is not even half as long as it is up here. You, however, will retain your memories. Every last one of them. You will never be able to forget. You will never be able to escape. Those are the conditions._

Keith cannot help the way he noticeably steels himself. There are no other options. They will all die. He has to act quickly. He nods.

“I agree.” The druid looks at him expectantly. “I, Keith Kogane of Earth, sign over all my rights, my body and memory to the Druids, in exchange for the freedom of my friends: Pidge Holt, Lance McClain, Takashi Shirogane, Hunk Garrett, Coran, the royal advisor of Altea, and Allura, princess of Altea.”

There’s that shake of the head again. Keith’s muscles tense. Every instinct tells him to flee, to escape, to grab the others and get the fuck out of there, but he can’t. He’ll never be able to he thinks, as he stares into the druid’s eyes, so unlike anything human, unlike anything he’s used to.

The druid waves its hands, and then everything goes black.

Back on the ship, Pidge takes off her helmet, turns to the others. “Guys,” she says. “I have this weird feeling. Like I’m forgetting something really important.” The others exchange looks.

“Me too,” says Hunk. and Lance nods.

“Flying at such high velocity and then suddenly stopping the way we did probably messed with our heads a little. It’s probably nothing.” Shiro says.

Vaguely she remembers flying through space. Flying fast, very fast, as if she were trying to get away from something. Her stomach turns. The nauseousness from the anxiety is just beginning to wear off. Pidge nods slowly, unsure. She looks back over her shoulder at the vast expanse of space. There’s nothing. “Yeah,” she says. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”


End file.
